Medicated steam bath



Feb. 9, 1937. A, B STOUT 2,070,378

MEDICATED STEAM BATH Filed May 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Z4- Z2. n?,3332 Z5 7 Z Z7 .L1 r- I l Z3 Z6 y 5 Z7 ET.

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Fz'ggl fz'g '7 /O Feb. 9, 1937. A. B. sToUT 2,070,378

MEDICATED STEAM BATH Filed May 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @y man ma,

from/frs vPatented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to means for producing a medicated steam bath andhas for a primary object the provision of means for generating steam ata minimum cost and in such manner as to effectively distribute the steamwithin a cabinet as may be desired. A still further primary object ofthe invention is to provide a simple mechanism for the generation ofsteam which will require all of the steam without loss to pass into andover a mass of the medicinal compound to be employed.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention such as residein the particular assembly of the elements as will hereinafter beindicated will become apparent to those versed in the art in thefollowing description of one particular form of my invention asillustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings,

` in which Fig. 1 is a front view in perspective of a cabinet to whichmy invention is shown as applied;

Fig. 2 a front elevation of the generating unit;

Fig. 3 a vertical transverse section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 a horizontal transverse section on the line 4 4 in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 a vertical transverse section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views inthe drawings.

l form a water tank I0 arranged to have a iioat II carried therewithinto operate a valve structure I2 in order to provide and maintain anapproximately constant water level within the tank. A pipe line I3, Fig.5, leads from any suitable water supply pipe I4 to the valve structure.The valve structure I2 is carried by a plate I5 at one end of the tankas indicated in Fig. 4. Preferably a cover I5 is provided to nt over thetank IIJ so as to prevent any external matter from dropping into thetank. The tank I0 is placed within the cabinet I6 adjacent its rear wallas indicated in Fig. 4 and a flow pipe connection Il leads across fromthe tank I0 to a boiler I8, the floor of which is preferably at anelevation above the floor of the tank IIJ and the pipe connection Il isso positioned as to elevation in reference to the normal water level inthe tank I0 as to be kept filled without causing the water level withinthe boiler I8 to be at any appreciable distance thereabove. As a matterof fact the depth of water within the boiler I8 is preferred not toexceed two or two and one-half inches, a minimum amount of water beingcarried within the boiler so as to permit quick generation of steaminitially and also to maintain a considerable volume of steam withouthaving to heat a large volume of water.

The boiler I8 consists essentially of a cylindrical vessel in which isplaced an electrical heating 5 element I9 here shown as in the form of aplurality of turns of tubing in which is carried in insulated manner aresistance wire so that the wire is effectively insulated from the watersurrounding the tube. In the form herein shown, 1Q there are twoseparate coils or windings having their terminals so arranged that threecombinations of heats may be secured. A cable 20 carries conductors fromthe windings up to a suitable switch 2| here shown as being mounted on15 the upper side of the cabinet I6, Fig. 1.

A chemical carrying vessel 22 is formed to have its under side telescopeover the upper open end of the boiler I8, the iloor of the vessel 22forming a cover for the boiler I8 and the telescoping ar- 20 rangementpreventing the escape of steam from between the boiler and the vessel22. The steam may escape from the boiler IB through a central stand pipe23 carried by the vessel 22. This stand A pipe 23 is mounted in avertical position and has 25 a deflector head 24 fixed to its upper endin spaced relation to provide a plurality of orifices 25 between theupper end of the pipe 23 and the under side of the head 24 so that asthe steam leaves the upper end of the pipe 23, its direction is changedby striking the head 24 so that the steam is directed downwardly towardthe floor of the vessel 22 where it may strike the medical preparation26 carried by the vessel. The vessel 22 is entirely open at its top sideso that the steam after being deflected downwardly within the vessel mayescape upwardly therefrom.

The boiler I3 with the vessel 22 mounted thereon is positionedimmediately in front of the tank I5 within the cabinet I6. Now in orderto pre- 40 vent the travel of the steam immediately into the cabinet I'from the vessel 22, I provide a -diffusing housing 21 in the nature of ahood to t down over the vessel 22 and the boiler I8 thereunder in spacedrelation. This housing 21 in 45 the form herein shown is rectilinear inhorizontal cross section and has an upper arched roof which will tend todeilect the steam downwardly within the housing as it leaves the vessel22 and moreover will cause any condensation to run down on the innerside walls rather than drip, back into the vessel 22. This housing 2lrests upon a floor 28 carried in the cabinet I6. Spaced above the loweredges of the walls of the housing''l is a plurality of openings 29arranged 55 therearound on substantially the same horizontal alignment.A skirt 3B is fixed around the outer side of the housing 2l to extenddownwardly and outwardly from the walls of the housing to terminate byits lower end at a distance above the lower ends of the housing walls asindicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

Steam coming down toward the floor 28 within the housing 21 may escapethrough these holes 29 to be intercepted by the skirt 3l! and therebydirected downwardly along thel iloor 28 from which the steam may riseand diffuse slowly through the cabinet compartment. In order to controlthe escape of steam from the housing 2T as may be desired, each hole 29is provided with a door 3| pivotally mounted on the Wall in proximitythereto in such manner that the door 3i may be revolved to drop acrossthe particular hole' as may be desired. For example, it may be de-4sired to have the steam escape from the holes in the end walls ofthehousing 2'I`without any escape from the holes in the forward wall orvice versa. The housing 21 rests on the oor 28 immediately in front ofthe tank IU and in this position is directly under a seat 32 mountedwithin the cabinet I6. The seat 32 may be adjusted as to elevation bybeing placed between any one of a series of side wall brackets 33 asindicated' in Fig. 1.

The floor 28 is carried in a demountable manner on a drain door 34 whichis an inte-gral part of the cabinet I6 as indicated in Fig. 2, the floor34 being formed to slope downwardly from the side walls of the cabinetto the'centerfrom which condensation and moisture collecting in thecabinet may drain through a hole 35 into a tray or drawer 36 carried bythe -cabinet thereunder. Such moisture collecting in the drawer 36 maybe thrown away.

The person to be treated uses the cabinet I6' in the ordinary manner bysitting on the seat' 32 and closing the cabinet doors in the customarymanner. The switch 2| may be operated rst to give the maximum amount ofheat to generate the steam quickly and warm up the cabinet and then therate of generation may be retarded by manipulating the switch as may bedesired to reduce the amount of current passing through the heatingcoils within the boiler I8. By carrying such a small amount of water inthe boiler I8, steam may be generated Very quickly initially and' thensteam may be continued to be generated with a less amount of current ina very eilicient manner. Moreover the flow of steam is effectivelycontrolled so as to discharge entirely through the stand pipe 23 asabove indicated all without any danger of live steam escaping directlyfrom the boiler in a manner that might cause injury to the patient.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the onebestiformv as now known to me it is obvious that structural variationsmay' be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention andI, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyondthe limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a bath cabinet, a drain floor in the cabinet, a steamgenerator on the cabinet carried above the floor, means for deflectingsteam from the generator toward the floor,

said floor sloping from the walls of the cabinet to a low area having adrain holeV therein, and a removable drain pan under said `areareceiving condensation from the walls and floor of the cabinet, saidgenerator comprising a water supply and level control, a boilerreceiving water from said supply, an electric heating element immersedin the water in said boiler, said element being formed to extendhorizontally over the floor of the boiler and be submerged by a minimumamount of water, a medication vessel fitted over the boiler, a steamconductor from the boiler into said vessel, means for deflecting thesteam toward the loor of the vessel, said vessel having an opening atits top, and ahousing surrounding said boiler and said vessel in spacedrelation to form a hood thereover, said housing having steam escapeopenings through the'lower part of its walls.

2. In combination, a bath cabinet, a drain floor in the'c'abinet, asteam generator on the cabinet carried above the floor, means fordeecting steam from the generator toward the floor, said floor slopingfrom the walls of the cabinet to a low area having a drain hole therein,and a removable drain pan under said area receiving condensation fromthe Walls and floor of the cabinet, said generator comprising a Watersupply and level control, a boiler receiving water from said supply, anelectric heating element immersed in the water in said boiler, saidelement being formed to extend horizontally over the floor of the boilerand be Vsubmerged by a minimum amount of water, a medication vessel ttedover the boiler, a steam conductor from the boiler into said vessel,means for deflecting the steam to- Ward-the iloor of the vessel, saidvessel vhaving an opening at its top, and a housing surrounding saidboiler and said vessel in spaced relation to form a hood thereover, saidhousing having steam escape openings through the lower part of itswalls, a skirt carried by the housing over said holes to deflect steamdownwardly from the holes, and means for controlling the escape 4. Incombination, a bath cabinet, a drain floor in the cabinet, a steamgenerator carried above the floor, means for deflecting steam from thegenerator toward the floor, said door sloping from the walls of thecabinet to a low area having a drain hole therein, and a removable drainpan under said area receiving condensation from the walls and floor ofthe cabinet, a false floor carried by the drain floor, and saidgenerator being mounted on the false floor whereby ysaid steam maydiiTuse thereunder and back up within the cabinet.

5. In combination, a bath cabinet, a drain floor in the cabinet, a steamgenerator carried above the floor, means for deilecting steam from thegenerator toward the floor, said floor sloping from the walls of thecabinet to a low area having a drain hole therein, and a removable drainpan under said area receiving condensation from the walls and floor ofthe cabinet, said generator comprising an open top vessel, an immersiontype electrical heating element in the vessel, a second vesseltelescoping over the top of the rst vessel, a stand pipe in the secondvessel through which all the steam :from the lower vessel discharges,and a deector about the top end of the stand pipe directing escapingsteam downwardly within the second vessel.

6. In combination, a bath cabinet, a drain floor in the cabinet, a steamgenerator on the cabinet carried above the oor, means for deflectingsteam from the generator toward the floor, said floor sloping from theWalls of the cabinet to a low area having a drain hole therein, and aremovable drain pan under said area receiving condensation from thewalls and oor of the cabinet, said generator comprising a water supplyand level control, a boiler receiving water from said supply, anelectric heating element immersed in the Water in said boiler, saidelement being formed to extend horizontally over the floor of the boilerand be submerged by a minimum amount of water, a medication vesselfitted over the boiler, a steam conductor from the boiler into saidVessel, means for deecting the steam toward the floor of the vessel,said vessel having an opening at its top, and a housing surrounding saidboiler and said vessel in spaced relation to form a hood thereover, saidhousing having steam escape openings through the lower part of itswalls, said housing having its upper portion arranged to directcondensation on its under side downwardly away from said vessel.

ABRAHAM B. STOUT.

